NDTV 24×7 lead toppled by Times Now in India

India based English news broadcaster NDTV 24×7 has been pushed off from the numero uno slot after years of reign.

Bennett, Coleman & Co service Times Now has been crowned the new market leader in India. According to TV ratings and viewership share provided by TAM Media Research for the two weeks, Week 31 and Week 32, show Times Now to be in the lead.

Times Now GRPs for the two weeks stood at 11 and 10, respectively; NDTV 24X7’s GRPs were 9 and 8, respectively. While CNN-IBN managed GRPs of 7 each for the two weeks, in the core TG of CS M 25+ AB, All 1 million+ markets.

Times Now claimed a viewership share of 31.01 per cent and 30.08 per cent, respectively, for the two weeks in the CS 25+ target group; NDTV 24X7 garnered a share of 25.90 per cent and 22.37 per cent, respectively. CNN-IBN stands third with a channel share of 20 per cent for both the Weeks. Headlines Today and NewsX had a viewership share of 10 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively for the Week 32.

Moreover, Times Now has notched up a viewership share of 34 per cent during prime time (8-11 pm). This compares with 27.2% by the NDTV 24X7 and 24.6% by CNN-IBN. With 26 out of the top 100 shows in the English news genre, the channel has emerged as the news leader for the past few months.

Speaking with TelevisionPoint, Sanjay Sharma, senior vice-president, sales and marketing, Times Now, says, “We have been connecting better with audiences both through on-air special programmes and on the ground initiatives. Our recent coverage of Olympics, blasts in Ahmedabad and Bangalore, Indo-US nuclear deal, the pullout of Left parties from the government, to name a few, have helped us to rake in huge viewership, making Times Now the leader in the prime time and week day English news viewing space.”